50% through the season and the Celtics are currently a lottery team. What to do?

[chambers]

For the love of god tank!!!!!  Stop with these feel good courageous attempts at getting into the playoffs.  And you fans that don't like the t word, get over it!  We need stars fast!!!

what prospect in the #9-12 range is worth tanking for? Poeltl? Korkmaz?

Tanking isn't actually an option in this poll.
Tanking would be sending out every player of value that adds to wins.
In the above options, we'd be sending out some veterans that help us win, but the focus is primarily on developing our youngest players with real NBA minutes, in and around some real hard working winners like Crowder, Smart, Bradley, Mickey, Hunter etc...

So yeah, please don't derail this thread with a tanking debate.

trading Isaiah, a potential All Star, just to give the 16th pick playing time,is essentially the skeleton key to a proper tank. Im not against giving the young guys playing time, but not at the cost of our All Star

Isaiah is a great player, I love him. And I can completely see a 2017 where he fits in perfectly with our Nets pick like Brandon Ingram or Jaylen Brown. Even better, his contract is amazing.
But if we are going to keep him, I want him coming off the bench.
He's hindering the progress of Rozier and Smart for me, but the main concern for me with IT is that by the time he's due for his next contract, we still won't be a championship team- and his value is at an all time high.
If we don't think he's going to be a key piece of our next championship team, then I think there's validity in selling him while the price is high.
We don't have to, but we could get a VERY nice asset for him, and we also speed up the production/development of Smart and Rozier as NBA guards.

Again, I don't wanna give him away, but if Bucks called and said they'd give us the #9 pick for Isaiah Thomas, I'd have to pull the trigger. Just my opinion

It's a preference for me, but by all means, I'd be happy if we kept IT and moved the other vets like Amir, Turner, Lee, Zeller etc...

Looking into 2017 and 2018, we have A LOT of picks and if Danny can't move those picks, we are going to have a lot of players coming in. I want the guys that will still be around for our next championship run. I'm not quite sure if IT is going to be here for that or is part of Danny's championship plan.

[chambers]

Here's an offseason scenario that reflects my preference. I think it's somewhat realistic. It's not about improving our own draft pick. We don't need to worry about that with the Nets pick in our hands. It's about developing our young players and finding out if we have diamonds in the rough sooner than later. It's about surrounding our Brooklyn pick with similarly aged young talent that can grow/develop with him like OKC, while looking to add more young talent via free agency.

Draft night:

*Nets pick ends up at #3 and we select Jaylen Brown
*Our pick ends up at #18
*Harrison Barnes has verbally agreed to sign with the Celtics.
*The Bucks or Knicks call us and are willing to send us the #8 pick for Isaiah Thomas and James Young.

We enter the 2017 season with
Starting unit:
Smart
Jaylen Brown with Nets pick #3
Jae Crowder
Harrison Barnes signs with Celtics
Jacob Poeltl with Bucks pick #8

Bench:
Avery Bradley
Kelly O
Mickey
Rozier
Hunter
2016 Celtics pick
2016 Mavs pick

Now this team might not make the playoffs in 2017, but it's going to be a competitor pretty quickly and ultimately, I think this team has a much better shot at making the Eastern Conference finals within 5 years vs our current roster.

Anyway, just a dream of mine, but I'm not advocating tanking. I'm advocating giving our young players some real development opportunity in the NBA, led by Avery, Jae and Marcus after the Nets have tanked for us already.

[Denis998]

For the love of god tank!!!!!  Stop with these feel good courageous attempts at getting into the playoffs.  And you fans that don't like the t word, get over it!  We need stars fast!!!

what prospect in the #9-12 range is worth tanking for? Poeltl? Korkmaz?

well Ainge tried to trade 4 first round picks to move up to #9 in the last draft.

true, but i dont think this draft is nearly as deep as last years =/

[Moranis]

For the love of god tank!!!!!  Stop with these feel good courageous attempts at getting into the playoffs.  And you fans that don't like the t word, get over it!  We need stars fast!!!

what prospect in the #9-12 range is worth tanking for? Poeltl? Korkmaz?

well Ainge tried to trade 4 first round picks to move up to #9 in the last draft.

true, but i dont think this draft is nearly as deep as last years =/

I've seen Jamal Murray as low as 11.  He was a preseason top 5 pick. 

[__ramonezy__]

What to do? Simple... play the young guys more. We don't need a trade to free up minutes, CBS just needs to sub in Mickey, Young, RJ and Rozier... ready or not. At this point, it has to be sink or swim for players on our team, we are heading into another draft with at least 5 more picks and we still don't have the answer to basic questions like if we're keeping Young or not.

Every game one of our young players should get at least 15 mins playing time, especially Young. I don't see us using the "he has potential" card for another off season. If he's no good, cut him and bring back a prospect like PJ3, who didn't really get the chance to stick.

[BitterJim]

None of the above.  Look to deal big contracts (like Lee) and some of our lesser picks for players that improve the team short and long term (like the IT deal last year)

[BitterJim]

Here's an offseason scenario that reflects my preference. I think it's somewhat realistic. It's not about improving our own draft pick. We don't need to worry about that with the Nets pick in our hands. It's about developing our young players and finding out if we have diamonds in the rough sooner than later. It's about surrounding our Brooklyn pick with similarly aged young talent that can grow/develop with him like OKC, while looking to add more young talent via free agency.

Draft night:

*Nets pick ends up at #3 and we select Jaylen Brown
*Our pick ends up at #18
*Harrison Barnes has verbally agreed to sign with the Celtics.
*The Bucks or Knicks call us and are willing to send us the #8 pick for Isaiah Thomas and James Young.

We enter the 2017 season with
Starting unit:
Smart
Jaylen Brown with Nets pick #3
Jae Crowder
Harrison Barnes signs with Celtics
Jacob Poeltl with Bucks pick #8

Bench:
Avery Bradley
Kelly O
Mickey
Rozier
Hunter
2016 Celtics pick
2016 Mavs pick

Now this team might not make the playoffs in 2017, but it's going to be a competitor pretty quickly and ultimately, I think this team has a much better shot at making the Eastern Conference finals within 5 years vs our current roster.

Anyway, just a dream of mine, but I'm not advocating tanking. I'm advocating giving our young players some real development opportunity in the NBA, led by Avery, Jae and Marcus after the Nets have tanked for us already.

I really hope Barnes hasn't verbally committed to us on draft night, that would be a tampering charge waiting to happen

[Csfan1984]

I'd just be open to buying or selling at deadline. You have to be looking for value to build your club long term. So the guys you like hold onto. The guys you don't if you get a decent offer just do the trade.

[chambers]

What to do? Simple... play the young guys more. We don't need a trade to free up minutes, CBS just needs to sub in Mickey, Young, RJ and Rozier... ready or not. At this point, it has to be sink or swim for players on our team, we are heading into another draft with at least 5 more picks and we still don't have the answer to basic questions like if we're keeping Young or not.

Every game one of our young players should get at least 15 mins playing time, especially Young. I don't see us using the "he has potential" card for another off season. If he's no good, cut him and bring back a prospect like PJ3, who didn't really get the chance to stick.

I'm pretty much with you 100%
I'd even like to experiment with IT coming off the bench again and keeping Amir around.
I think Stevens is the kind of guy who is more concerned about winning the very next game, and inserting youngins' in for small stretches with different line ups.

In reality, we are probably going to have to wait till next season to see Hunter, Rozier, Mickey and our picks get minutes.
Just letting certain players walk in free agency like Sully, Turner, Lee, Jerebko, Zeller would free up some serious minutes. Hell if we showed up opening night 2017 with:

Smart
Bradley
Crowder
KO
Amir

IT
Rozier
Hunter
Mickey
Young
Draft pick Brooklyn
Draft pick Celtics
Draft pick Dallas
2nd round pick/free agent

While stashing some 2nd rounders overseas

That's 14 players and I'd be absolutely ecstatic for the developmental potential of our team.

[CelticSooner]

I voted for option 3. Trim the fat of the roster before the deadline and go with what you got. This team has too many players that have no future with the team. The team is playing like it's waiting on Ainge to make a move anyways. CBS is handcuffed into giving all these guys minutes to keep them happy.